Not As Expected
by ChimeraDragon
Summary: "Stop." Scott's body froze as though he'd been jerked back by an invisible hand. He turned, eyes wide as he looked at Derek. "Why?" "Because," Derek replied with a sigh. "It's not Stiles." (Spoilers up to 3x17 & it's trailers) Part 3 of the Not!verse also on AO3


"Stop."

Scott's body froze as though he'd been jerked back by an invisible hand. He turned, eyes wide as he looked at Derek. "Why?"

"Because," Derek replied with a sigh. "It's not Stiles."

"What do you mean 'it's not Stiles'?" Scott demanded. "He admitted to writing the message on the board. To having a key to the chemistry closet. And I saw him with the Oni. The Oni he defeated easily. I didn't say anything to him, but we have to go and stop him." He sighed as his whole body seemed to deflate.

"You think a nogistune would be able to take on the Oni like that?" Derek asked as he crossed his arms and leaned agaisnt the wall. "That's their whole purpose. They kill Void and then go back to the nothingness. That's it. Nothing else."

Scott looked confused as he looked to Isaac and Allison to see if they understood better than he did. "I don't understand."

"The Nameton," Derek replied as he raised an eyebrow.

"That freaky dead tree in the middle of the Preserve?" Aiden asked as he joined the conversation. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Scott?" Derek asked, trying to get the teen to realize what was going on.

"It ... created a darkness around our hearts. When we sacrificed ourselves for our parents... but that's how the nogitsune got into him. Isn't it?" Scott asked, brows furrowed in concentration as he walked further into the room.

"And you think all darkness is created equal?" Peter's voice cut across the room, smooth as silk.

"What the-!? When did you get here?" Scott demanded, back tense as the looked at the older wolf.

"I came back with Derek. Cora's not here, before any of you ask," Peter waved a dismissive hand at the open mouths he saw. "As for my question...?"

"I don't know. Yes?" Scott replied, tone uncertain.

"No. The correct answer is no. You kids have so much to learn," Peter sighed dramatically. "The Nameton is a place of power. It created a darkness around your hearts. One that draws darkness. But it also protects you from other darkness."

Scott stared, face still completely dumbfounded.

"It means you can't be possessed, like with the nogitsune," Derek answered the unspoken question with a growl of frustration. "You are so lucky you're all still alive. Do't you ever do research? Or do you just leave that all up to Stiles?" He couldn't help the second growl that pulled it's way free of him. Almost without his permission.

"Well, he likes doing the research and we've been kinda busy lately!" Scott protested weakly as he flopped down on the couch.

Derek raised an eyebrow at the excuse. "And that makes it all better? That you don't do half the work? Just let Stiles do all the research and planning and you do what...? The heavy lifting?"

"No! I just... I'm not as good at it as he is..." Scott closed his mouth as he realized how bad his defense sounded, even to his own ears. "Okay... so what do we need to do? And who is it? And how in the hell did he defeat those demons?"

Derek rolled his eyes again. "He didn't fight them. The Nameton moved through him and basically told them this person was protected. The firefly you saw? It came from the Nameton."

"So that just leaves one question..." Isaac said slowly, uncertain if he should be speaking up on the matter.

"I think it's Barrow," Stiles said from the doorway, surprising everyone with his sudden appearance. "You know, you really need to change your password for your phone, Scott." He grinned widely.

"How much did you hear?" Allison asked, her Hunter's instincts in full force to try and define the threat that might be facing them.

Stiles scoffed and looked to Derek for help. Derek merely shrugged in response. "Long enough to know I'm not losing my mind or am a threat."

"So what about Barrow and the chemistry closet? And the message to kill Kira?" Scott asked.

"It was a warning. I'd apparently figured out she was the target. As for letting him in the chemistry closet... I didn't want my friends hurt. And even Ethan ... and by extension Aiden..." Stiles replied with a careless shrug.

Derek couldn't help the laugh that was pulled out of him by the mildly scathing retort.

"So..." Stiles said as he rubbed his hands together. "What's the plan?"

End


End file.
